HSU LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
1996/1997 Vol. 2
INTERNET A LA CARTE
This spring the Library is offering seven sessions demonstrating key
electronic World Wide Web Resources in six subject areas through
Continuing Education. The presentations are being taught in a computer
lab to facilitate hands-on experience surfing the net in these subject
areas. Each session is freestanding or you may choose to attend all seven
for an in-depth introduction to some of the many resources available via
the World Wide Web. The sessions start on April 1 and meet each week in
Science D 017 lab from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Class size is limited and
preregistration is required. There is a $5.00 per session fee. April 1
is the "Basics of Netscape and the Web" (Corryn Crosby-Muilenburg); April
8 is "Meeting Uncle Sam in Cyberspace: Government Information on the
Internet" (Ray Wang); April 15 is "Discovering Data on the Internet:
Sources of Geospatial and Numeric Data in the Natural Resources and
Sciences" (Bob Sathrum); April 22 is "Mind Your Own Business: Small
Business Sources on the Web" (Sharmon Kenyon); April 29 is "Virtual
culture: Art, Music, Books, and Theatre on the World Wide Web" (Martha
Johansen); May 6 is "Kid Stuff : Internet Sites for Children (and Their
Families)" (Mary H. Kay); May 13 is "Education Sources on the Internet"
(Joan Berman).
DROP-IN TUTORIALS
We are once again offering drop-in tutorials where you can learn about how
to search any of our electronic databases as well as how to search for
information on the Internet. These sessions are offered twice a week and
focus on whatever the attendees are interested in learning about these
topics. The days are Mondays from 2-3 p.m. in Library 310 and Thursdays
from 12-1 p.m. in SH 119. Since the classes are in computer labs, you
will have a chance for hands-on learning. No pre-registration is
necessary.
POINT OF ORIGIN CABLECAST
Media Services has extended its distance learning services for the spring
semester. Presently, Media Services provides assistance for the following
courses which broadcast on Cox Cable Channel 12:
Management 315 Tuesday and Thursday 12:30-2:00 p.m., live broadcast
Management 315 Monday 9:00-11:00 p.m., taped broadcast
Journalism 490 Tuesday 6:30-7:00 p.m., live broadcast
Journalism 490 Tuesday 9:00-9:30 p.m. and 11:00-11:30 p.m., taped broadcast
Nursing 480 Monday 7:00-9:00 p.m., taped broadcast
As a community service, on Sundays, Media Services broadcasts live a
program entitled "Doc in the Box." The program offers health and medical
advice to audiences and is sponsored by the Nursing Department and local
medical service providers. Also, in recognition of women, on Sundays,
starting March 16 through June 15, Media Services airs a series of
programs called "Community Voices." These programs are sponsored by
Political Science Department and Humboldt County Commission on the Statues
of Women. For detailed information, visit our site:
http://library.humboldt.edu/media/cablecast.htm.
In cooperation with other CSU campuses, Media Services provides a facility
to offer courses to HSU students. During the spring semester, the
following courses are offered:
Nurse Practitioner program with Sonoma State University
Master's program in Social Work with Long Beach State University
Sport Medicine program with San Francisco State University
SPOTLIGHT ON THE FUTURE -- THE HSU LIBRARY ELECTRONIC RESERVE SYSTEM
Since the Spring 1996 semester, Library staff have been working with a
number of the teaching faculty to develop an Electronic Reserve System
(ERS), in an effort to provide Web access to course reserve materials via
the Library/Media Services home page (http://library.humboldt.edu).
Although this project remains in the pilot stage of development as we
continue to tackle myriad technical and logistical issues, we have done
our best to accommodate the needs of faculty members who have expressed an
interest in participating in the program. To date, we have created 62 ERS
documents for 12 faculty members, serving a potential user population of
995 students enrolled in 20 courses across all three colleges.
The original ERS model was developed around the use of the Adobe Acrobat
Portable Document Format (PDF), which creates and retains an electronic
image of the source material. Acrobat Reader client software, freely
available from the Adobe Web site, is required for use of PDF documents.
Based upon feedback received from ERS pilot participants, faculty and
students alike, we have been making modifications to the ERS model this
year to better serve campus needs. Some of the issues being addressed
include large documents with lengthy download times, poor on-screen
readability, and limited campus access to the Acrobat Reader viewing
software.
To help address these concerns, the Library has been exploring the use of
OCR- to-HTML conversion software as an alternative online format for ERS
documents. HTML documents offer a number of advantages over PDF, including
smaller file size, faster downloading, and good on-screen readability.
Additionally, the documents may be accessed using virtually any Web
browser with no need for proprietary viewing software. On the downside,
HTML documents take substantially longer to create than do the PDF
documents, due largely to amount of time required to proofread each
document and correct errors introduced by the conversion software.
Recognizing that each approach has advantages for handling certain types
of materials, the Library will continue to offer both HTML and PDF options
for the ERS file formats. With that in mind, we have upgraded our Adobe
Acrobat software to version 3.0, which enables a user to begin reading a
PDF document while it is still downloading.
To expedite the handling of ERS documents and improve turnaround time, the
Library is purchasing a second high-end personal computer and a higher
quality scanner for use by the Reserves staff. This hardware, which is
expected to be in place later this semester, will be used to digitize and
process incoming ERS materials.
We appreciate the efforts of those faculty and students who, through their
active participation, have been assisting in the development of the ERS.
Faculty wishing to learn more about the Electronic Reserve System are
invited to access the Reserve Book Room/Electronic Reserves link on the
Library Services home page, send an e-mail inquiry to
ereserve@library.humboldt.edu, or call the Reserve Office at Extension
4401.
RESERVATIONS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR THIRD FLOOR STUDY ROOMS
On February 10 the Library's Circulation Department began accepting and
coordinating reservations for the four study rooms, L311 to L314, which
are located on the third floor between the Faculty Development Office and
the Interdisciplinary Microcomputer Lab. Hourly signup sheets for the
current day are on clipboards fastened to the wall outside each room.
Above each clipboard is a "Usage Priority" sign which briefly explains
reservation rules and procedures. To facilitate advance bookings, there
is a self-service binder on the Circulation Desk counter which contains a
reservation sheet for each room for each remaining day of the semester.
Reservations may be made for a maximum of two hours per day per group.
Groups reserving study rooms may be either formally organized or
informally self-constituted. Use of these study rooms may be for any
purpose which is compatible with Library functions and does not interfere
with normal Library operations.
Last Updated: Apr. 28, 1997